plate, jewels, and fuch like trifles, nothing comparing to his; yet had he mistook him, and fent him to me, I fhould ne'er have deny'd his occafions fo many talents. Enter Servilius. Ser. See, by good hap, yonder's my Lord, I have fweat to fee his Honour.-My honour'd Lord [To Lucius.' Luc. Servilius? you are kindly met, Sir. Fare thee well. Commend me to thy honourable virtuous Lord, my very exquifite friend. Ser. May it pleafe your Honour, my Lord hath fent Luc. Ha! What hath he fent? I am fo much endear'd to that Lord. He's ever fending. How shall I thank him, think'ft thou? and what has he fent now? Ser. H'as only fent his prefent occafion now, my Lord, requesting your Lordship to fupply his inftant ufe, with fifty talents. Luc. I know, his Lordship is but merry with me; He cannot want fifty five hundred talents. *Ser. But in the mean time he wants lefs, my Lord. 'If his occafion were not virtuous, 2 1 thould not urge it half fo faithfully. Luc. Doft thou speak feriously, Servilius ? Luc. What a wicked beait was I, to disfurnifh myfelf against fuch a good time, when I might ha' fhewn 9. yet had he MISTOOK him, and jent him to me,] We should read, -MISLOOK'D him. If his occafion were not virtu- forceable, preffing. WARB. -half jo faithfully.] Faithfully, for fervently. Therefore, without more ado, the Oxford Editor alters the text to fervently. But he might have feen, that Shakespear afed faithfully for fervently, as in the former part of the fentence he had ufed virtuons for forceable. WARE. my 3 myfelf honourable? How unluckily it hap'ned, that I fhould purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of honour? Servilius, now before the gods, I am not able to do-The more beaft, I fay. -I was fending to ufe Lord Timon myfelf, thefe gentlemen can witnefs; but I would not, for the wealth of Athens, I had don't now. Commend me bountifully to his good Lordship, and, I hope his Honour will conceive the fairest of me, because I have no power to be kind. And tell him this from me, I count it one of my greateft afflictions, that I cannot pleafure fuch an honourable gentleman. Good Servilius, will you befriend me fo far, as to use my own words to him? Ser. Yes, Sir, I fhall. Luc. I'll look ye out a good turn, Servilius. [Exit Servilius. True, as you faid, Timon is fhrunk, indeed; And he, that's once deny'd, will hardly fpeed. [Exit. 1 Stran. Do you obferve this, Heftilius? 2 Stran. Ay, too well. I Stran. Why, this is the world's foul; And juft of the fame piece is every flatterer's fpirit: 3 That I should purchase the day before for a little part, and undo a great deal of Honour ?] Tho' there is a feeming plaufible Antithefts in the Terms, I am very well affured they are corrupt at the bottom. For a little Part of what? Honour is the only Subftantive that follows in the Sentence. How much is the Antithefis improved by the Senfe which my Emendation gives? "That I fhould purchase for a "little Dirt, and undo a great "deal of Honour!" THEOBALD. P 2 Who This emendation is received, like all others, by Sir T. Hanmer, but neglected by Dr. Warburten. I think Theobald right in fufpecting corruption; nor is his emendation injudicious, tho' perhaps we may better read, purchofe the day before for a little park. 4-flatterer's firit:] This is Dr. Warburton's emendation. The other editioas read, Wey, this is the world's foul: trand Who can call him his friend, That dips in the fame difh? For, in my knowing, And kept his credit with his purfe, 1 Stran. For mine own part, I never tafted Timen in my life; Nor any of his bounties came o'er me, To mark me for his friend. Yet, I protest, Had his neceffity made ufe of me, I would have put my wealth into donation, tranfpofed the two final words, Why, this is the world's fport: Of the jame piece is ev'ry flatterer's, foul. 3-(in respect of his)] i. e. confidering Timon's claim for what he asks. WARB. -in respect of bis,] That is, iu reffect of his fortune, what Lucius denies to Timon is in proportion to what Lucius poffefes, [Exeunt. less than the usual alms given by good men to beggars. I would have put my wealth into donation, And the best half should have return'd to him,] Hamner reads, I would have put my wealth into partition, And the best half should have attorn'd to him. Dr. Warburton receives attorn'd. SCENE Enter a third Servant with Sempronius. Sem. Muft he needs trouble me in't? Hum! He might have tried lord Lucius, or Lucullus, Whom he redeem'd from prifon; all these Serv. Oh, my Lord, "They've all been touch'd, and all are found bafe metal, For they have all deny'd him. Sem. How! deny'd him? Ventidius and Lucullus both deny'd him? It fhews but little love or judgment in him. Must I be his last refuge? His friends, like phyficians, They've all been touch'd,] That is, tryed, alluding to the touchftone. -bis Friends, like Phyficians Thriv'd, give him over?] I have reftor'd this old Reading, only amended the Pointing, which was faulty. Mr. Pope, fufpecting the Phrafe, has fubftituted Three in the room of thriv'd, and fo difarm'd the Poet's Satire. Phyficians thriv'd is no more than Phyficians grown rich: Only the Adjective Paffive of this Verb, indeed, is not fo common in Hanmer reads, try'd, plaufibly enough. Inftead of three propofed by Mr. Pope, I should read thrice. But perhaps the old reading is the true. P 3 That That I'll requite it laft? No. So it may prove an argument of laughter To th' reft, and I 'mongft Lords be thought a fool, But now return. And with their faint Reply this anfwer join; [Exit. Serv. Excellent! your Lordship's a goodly villain. The devil knew not what he did, when he made man politick; he crofs'd himself by't; and I cannot think, but in the end the villainies of man2 will fet him clear. How fairly this Lord ftrives to appear foul? takes virtuous copies to be wicked like those 9 Fd fuch a courage] Such an ardour, fuch an eager defire. The devil knew not what be did,] I cannot but think that the negative not has intruded into this paffage, and the reader will think fo too, when he reads Dr. Warburton's explanation of the next words. 2 will fet him clear.] Set him clear does not mean acquit him before heaven; for then the Devil must be fuppofed to know what he did: But it fignifies to puzzle him, out do him at his own weapons. WARBURTON. How the devil, or any other being, fhould be fet clear by being puzzled and outdone, the commentator has not explained. When in a crowd we would have an opening made, we fay, Stand clear, that is, out of the way of danger. With fome affinity to this ufe, though not without that great harshness, to fet clear, may be to jet afide. But I believe the original corruption is the infertion of the negative, which was obtruded by fome tranfcriber, who fuppofed crossed to mean thwarted, when it meant, exempted from evil. The ufe of croffing, by way of protection or purification, was probably not worn out in Shakespeare's time. The fenfe of fet clear is now eafy; he has no longer the guilt of tempting man. 3 takes virtuous copies to be wicked: like thofe, &c.] This is a reflection on the Puritans of that time. Thefe people were then fet upon a project of newmodelling the ecclefiaftical and civil government according to fcripture rules and examples. Which makes him fay, that n der zeal for the word of God, they would fet whole realms on |